Button-fastening machine.



= N0. 665,2". Patented Ian. I, I90l.

' E. A. GRIFFITH.

BUTTON FASTENING MACHINE.

(Applies-tic; filed Mar. 23, 1B98.I (No Model.) I 2 Sheds-Sheet I. r

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' Nu. 665,2"; Patented Jan. I, l90l.

E. A. GRIFFITH. BUTTON FASTENING MACHINE.

(Afiplicafiion filed m. as. race. (No Model 2 Sheets-Skeet 2.

III VE N T00 y M wrong? WITNESSES inn STATES EDWARD ALEXANDER GRIFFITH,OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BUTTON-FASTENING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,211, dated January1, 1901.

' Application filed March 23, 1898. Serial No. 674.914. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD ALEXANDER GRIFFITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Button Fastening Machines; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in button-setting machines whichare either hand or foot operated, and the buttons and fasteners are putin position by hand ready for fastening, the machine being known as abutton-fastener; and the objects of my improvements are, first, theproper holding of the button before, during, and after the fastening,and, second, the proper holding of the fastener before, during, andafter the fassomewhat shortened in height. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical view of my entire machine, taken at rightangles to the view shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view ofthe chuck for holding the button, with its shank shown in section. Fig.5 is an enlarged plan view of the chuck for holding the fastener, withthe jaws closed. Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the anvil upon whichthe fastener is placed.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

1 is the main frame of the machine, .in which is journaledoperating-lever 2 in journals 6, one end of which lever is handle 3, theother end 4 of which forms teeth for engaging with the teeth 9 ofoperating-cam 5. Near journal 6 of operating-lever 2 is tooth or cam 7for operating tooth 8 of operating-cam 5.

10 is a screw-stop for limiting the movement of operating-lever 2 and isset into main frame 1.

11 is a recess in main frame 1, in which operates rack-plunger 12. Onthe side of rackplunger 12 is rack 13, which meshes with teeth 14 ofoperating-cam 5. At the lower end of rack-plunger 12 is insertedsetting-die 15,.

which is held in place by set-screw 16. On the side of rack-plunger 12,at its lower extremity, is hollow sleeve 17, inside .of which slidesshank 18, attached to'the lower part 19 of the button-chuck, said shank18 being prevented from rotary motion by guide 20, working in guideway21 in main frame 1.

22 is the upper part of the button-chuck, which operates inside ofsleeve 17 and is prevented from rotary motion by guide working inguideway 21 in main frame 1.

17 is a sleeve surrounding sleeve 17. Between sleeve 17 and shank 18 isspring 23.

23 is a spring for pressing upper part 22 of the button-chuck to thelower part 19 of the button-chuck. Between. these two parts is placed anoblong-shank button 20 (shown in Fig. 4) to be operated upon, the groovein the lower part fitting the oblong shank of the button,thus holdingthe button securely in proper position for fastening.

24 is the anvil or chuck, upon which is placed the fastener 31, which isheld in place by jaws 25, which jaws are pivoted to anvil 24 by pivots26. To each jaw is attached handle 27 for operating the same withfingers.

28 is a spring tending to keep the jaws closed. Anvil 24: is secured tomain frame 1 by set-screws. (Not shown.)

29 represents openings in the jaws, which embrace the prongs of thefastener, each opening being sufficiently large to admit the prongs ofthe fastener in each jaw, the other registering therewith being plain,thus setting the fastener slightly on the skew to enable the prongs toclench past each other.

32 is a slot in rack-plunger 12, in which Works pin-screw 33, secured inmain frame 1,

spring 34 is secured at one end in a hole 35 in screw journal-plug36,which contains journal 6. The screw journal-plug 36 is afterbeingscrewed into position secured by set-screw 37. Spring 34 after leavinghole 35 is bent into a coil until it emerges from the inner end ofrecess 38, when it then takes a long loop under lever 2, and the otherend is formed and secured on the other side of the machine similar tothe method above described.

When I wish to use the machine as a footpower fastener, I mount it on asuitable stand 39, having base 40. On base 40 is fulcrumed foot-lever 41by means of pin 42. At 43 on foot-lever 11 is one end of link 44., theother end of which is pivotally secured to lever 2.

4:5 is a spring tending to keep foot-lever 41 up, thereby keeping themachine open.

The operation of my machine is as follows: Jaws 25 are opened by meansof alever-handle 2'7 with the fingers, and a fastener is placed on anvil24. The jaws are then allowed to close, embracing the prongs of thefastener in openings 29. The oblong shank of the button is inserted inthe slot in the lower part 19 of the button-chuck, the upper part 22coming down and resting on the button, thereby clamping it between thetwo parts. The garment to which the button is to be secured is placedover the prongs of the fastener, and the die 15 is then forced downward,carrying with it the button-chuck, which brings up on the garment andslides in and on sleeves 17 and 17. The die continuing forces thegarment and button over the prongs of the fastener and in so doingforces the jaws 25 open and out of the way by means of the shape oftheir edges, which are chamfered on their meeting edges, as shown inFig. 6, and clenches the prongs of the fastener as they come through thebutton, continuing this process until the die, button, garment,fastener,and anvil bring up rigidly together,a rigid fastening being therebysecured. If I do not proceed so far, a less rigid fastening may be had.This I regulate by means of screw-stop 10.

If the setting-die 15 should stick in the button and on releasingoperating-lever 2 should carry the button, button-chuck, garment, andfastener up with it, the shank 18 of the lower part 19 of thebutton-chuck would bring up against operating-cam 5, which would thenperform the function, so far as shank 18 is concerned, of a stop, asshown in Fig. 6, before rack-plunger 12, in which is insertedsetting-die 15, reaches the upper end ofits stroke, thus forcing thebutton-chuck and the setting-die apart.

The purpose of cams 7 8 is to increase the power of the machine at thetime of clenching the fastener. The clenching-die when operated by saidcams compared with handle 3 has a much slower motion than when operatedby teeth 4 9. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a button-setting machine the combination of a button-chuck forholding a button, consisting of a bifurcated lower body between the jawsof which fits a button, a bifurcated upper body the jaws of which reston and hold the said button in position, means tending to keep the twosaid bodies together, with a fastener-ch uck for holding a fastener, andmeans for bringing the said button and said fastener together andsecuring the same, substantially as described.

2. In a button-setting machine the combination of a button-chuck forholding a button, consisting of a lower body in which fits a button, anupper body resting on and holding the said button in position, meanstending to keep the two said bodies together, the said button-chuckbeing so mounted that it can have but one motion and that a right linemotion in line with the prongs of the fastener which is to be secured tothe said button, and having means to prevent a rotary motion thereof,with a fastener-chuck for holding a fastener and means for bringing thesaid button and said fasten er together and securing the Same,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD ALEXANDER GRIFFITH.

Witnesses:

O. L. SKINNER, WM. WV. VARNEY.

